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Floor Speech

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Ms. HIRONO. I rise today in support of Dr. Gita Rao Gupta's nomination to serve as Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues, and I am glad to be here with my friend from New Hampshire to argue for her confirmation.

As head of the State Department's Office of Global Women's Issues, the Ambassador at Large leads our diplomatic efforts to promote the rights and empowerment of women and girls around the world. Who can argue with that kind of a mission?

From supporting women's economic participation to combating domestic and gender-based violence, this work is critically important, and Dr. Gupta is well-suited to take on this important task. Dr. Gupta has spent her life working to empower women across the globe. She has led several nonprofit organizations focused on advancing gender equity and has served as cochair of the World Bank's Gender-Based Violence Task Force.

But for months now, Republicans have blocked consideration of her nomination. Why? Not because she is unqualified. Dr. Gupta's record is impeccable, and her qualifications are clear. No, Republicans are blocking her nomination simply because she supports the fundamental right of all women to make decisions about their bodies and their futures, including the decision to get an abortion.

Apparently, it is no longer enough for my Republican colleagues to push their extreme anti-abortion agenda. Now that they have overturned Roe v. Wade, they are opposing anyone who expresses support for abortion access even if it is their personal view and not one they are going to be pushing forward in the position that we are being asked to confirm them for.

Last year, the Republicans did the same thing to President Biden's nominee to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration, SBA, opposing his nomination because of their opposition to SBA's totally lawful PPP loans to Planned Parenthood clinics providing critical healthcare to communities across the country.

The Republicans, I have to say, have been on a tear about ``How dare SBA provide these lawful PPP loans to Planned Parenthood?'' Apparently, it escapes their notice that these are lawful loans.

So Republicans' opposition to Dr. Gupta's confirmation is a dangerous position and one that threatens the health, safety, and prosperity of women here in the United States and around the world.

For example, my Republican colleagues raised concerns about the state of women and girls in Afghanistan, and yet in another example of their hypocrisy, they are opposing a nominee who would be in a position to actually help support these women.

As Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues, Dr. Gupta will bring decades of experience to empower women, improve their economic security, and end violence against women and girls.

There is no legitimate reason for anyone to not support her nomination to this important role. The chaos and fear across the country generated by the Supreme Court's Roe decision is spilling over to block this nomination.

I thank Senator Shaheen for her focus on Dr. Gupta's nomination and her dedication to women and girls at home and abroad, and I urge my Republican colleagues to do the right thing for a change and end their bad faith obstruction of Dr. Gupta's nomination.

I yield back to my colleague from New Hampshire.

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